Control center section



Feb. 7; 1967 R. N. ECK

CONTROL CENTER SECTION 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 25, 1966 Feb. 7, 1967CONTROL CENTER SECT I ON Filed May 25, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Hm lllllllill-l-illll: I. l

Feb. 7, 1967 R. N. ECK

CONTROL CENTER SECTION 1 Sheets-$heet 5 Filed May 25, 1966 United SttesPatent 6 3,3 3 395 CONTRQL CENTER SECTEQN Robert N. Eek, Whitefish Easy,Wis, assigzzor to Cartier- Harnmer, Inn, Miiwaulree, Wis, a corporationof lEeiaware Filed May 25, 1966, Ser. No. 552,826 10 Claims. ((11.311-11?) This invention relates to control center sections and moreparticularly to an enclosure for housing a plurality of electricalcontrol units therein.

While not limited thereto, the invention is especially applicableto-metallic enclosures of the sectional type for housing electricalcontrol apparatus such as motor control apparatus and the like in acentral location for controlling remote equipment or machines.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved control centersection construction.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a control centersection construction wherein the exterior control panel is independentof the doors which provide access into the enclosure, this avoidingproblems in alinemcnt, gasketing, etc.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide a control centersection housing a plurality of control units wherein the manualoperators are on control panels integral with the respective controlunits and forming part of the front panel of the control center sectionindependent of the doors.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved control unitconstruction.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide a control unitconstruction incorporating therein the control panel and externaloperators of the associated control center section, which control panelforms part of the front wall of the control center section when saidunit is mounted therein.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention and the mannerof obtaining them will best be understood by reference to the followingdescription of an exemplary embodiment of a control center section takenin conjunction with accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a control center section constructedin accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view of the front portion of the controlcenter section taken along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional View taken along line 33 ofFIG. 2 showing one control unit;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along line 44 ofFIG. 2 showing one control unit;

FIGURE 5 is an isometric view of one of the control units of the controlcenter section of FIG. 1; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged front elevational view of a portion of thecontrol panel of the control unit of FIG. 5.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown one control center section which isadapted to be used alone or in combination with additional sectionsplaced in side-by-side relationship. This control center section isadapted to rest on the floor and is provided with a metallic enclosurehaving side walls 2 and 4 and doors in the front as shown in FIG. 2.This control center section may also be provided with a rear wall if itis of single control unit depth or may be provided with rear doors likethe front doors if it is of double unit depth arranged for accommodatingtwo control units in back-to-back relationship with vertical bus barsmounted therebetween as shown in I. L. Dcfendorf et al. Patent3,140,426, dated July 7, 1964.

When two or more control center sections such as that shown in FIG. 1are placed side-by-side, upper side plates 6 and lower side plates 8 areremoved between adjacent sections to permit continuous runs ofhorizontal bus bars or wiring whereby electrical power and controlconnections are led into each section.

As shown in FIG. 1, the front of the control center section is providedon the left side with a plurality of lefthand doors lit, 12, 14, 16 and18 arranged in a vertical column above a bottom front panel 20 and a topfront panel 22. These doors provide access to the control units and areprovided in uniform sizes of one, one and a half and double heightscorresponding to the sizes of the control units housed in the section.Door 10 is illustrated as being of double height and the other doors 12,14, 16 and 13 are illustrated as being of single height.

The front of the control center section that is shown is provided on theright side with a single right-hand door 24 extending all the way frombottom panel 20 to top panel 22 to provide access to the wiring spacewithin the right side of the enclosure, it being understood that thisdoor 24 could be less than full height if a larger control unitoccupying the full width of the control center section is used.

Between the left-hand doors and the right-hand door there are provided aplurality of control panels 26, 28, 30, 32 and 34 arranged in a verticalcolumn and onto the opposite sides of which the doors close. Each suchcontrol panel is formed integrally with the associated control unit andhas a height corresponding to the height of the associated left-hand orcontrol unit door 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18. Each such control panel is wideenough to receive the necessary operating and indicating deviceshereinafter described in connection with FIGS. 5 and 6.

As shown in FIG. 2, the left-hand side wall 2 of the control centersection is provided with a structure 36 affording a hinge for controlunit door 14. Similarly, the

right-hand side of the section is provided with structure 33 affording ahinge for wiring space door 24. On the insides of side walls 2 and 4towards the rear there are provided U-shaped brackets 40 and 42 or thelike on which are mounted control unit supporting bars 44 and- 46,respectively. These brackets 40 and 42 are also adapted to supporttherebetween vertical bus bars, not shown, onto which the controlconnectors are plugged in when the control unit is inserted in place tosupply power to the control units, reference being had to theaforementioned Patent No. 3,140,426 for a disclosure of one manner ofmounting such vertical bus bars and control unit plug-in connectors.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, control unit supporting bars 44 and 46 arebolted to brackets 40 and 42 and extend forwardly therefrom to providerunners on which the control unit is slid into position. Bar 44 in FIG.3 is provided with a slide 44a on which left-hand headed stud 48a of thecontrol unit slides. In a similar manner,

bar 46 in FIG. 4 is provided with a slide 46a on which right-hand headedstud 43b slides when the control unit is pushed into position. Thesesupporting bars are also each provided with one or two pair ofrectangular holes 441; and 4%!) for receiving hook latches 480 forlocking the control unit in either its inserted or pulled-forwardpositions.

As shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 48 which is removable from thecontrol center section is provided at its right front with theaforementioned control panel 30. This control unit is also provided witha rear wall 48d from which extend forwardly an upper wall 48e and alower wall 48f between the forward edges of which control panel 30 ismounted at the right. A pair of handles 48g and 4811 (or only one handleif desired) are secured tothe central forward portions of the upper andlower walls which can be grasped to pull the control unit forward forservicing. This control unit is illustrated in FIG. minus its electricalapparatus such as disconnect switch 50 or the like shown in FIGS. 1 and4 to clearly reveal its construction. As shown in FIG. 5, control panelis provided with suitable apertures for accommodating therein operatingand indicating means or the like. For example, an operating lever 30amay extend through this control panel for actuating the disconnectswitch or the like mounted in the control unit as shown in broken linesin FIG. 4. This operating lever may be of the slide type as shown inFIGS. 5 and 6 and provided with suitable on-off legends to be visibleonly in the appropriate positions of the lever. Below the operatinglever, the control panel may accommodate an indicating light 30b andpushbuttons 30c or the like, the important thing being that all of thesecontrol and indicating devices are on the control panelintegral with thecontrol unit and forming part of the front wall of the control centersection. Thus, none of these control and indicating devices need extendthrough the doors whereby registration and sealing problems inherent inthe latter are completely avoided.

This control panel 30 shown in FIG. 5 is provided with recessed lips 30dand 3% on the left and right edges thereof which form stops for thecontrol unit door and the wiring space door, respectively. As shown inFIGS. 2-4, these lips of the control panel may be provided with stripsof gasket or the like against which the inwardly bent edges of the doorsclose. The upper and lower inwardly turned edges of the doors may abutor close against inverted U-shaped channel members extending across thefront of the control center section from the left wall thereof to bar 46behind the crevices between adjacent doors as shown in FIGS. 2-4. Forsecuring these channel members, tabs on the ends thereof may be bentvertically and bolted to the door hinge bracket at the left end and tobar 46 at the right end.

As shown in FIG. 2, a suitable connector block 52 may be secured by abracket to the right side of the control unit so that it occupies aposition in the wiring space when the control unit is slid into place.After the control unit is in place, a mating connector "block 54 towhich the control wires have been connected is manually plugged intoblock 52 so as to connect the control unit to an external system.

While the apparatus hereinbefore described is effectively adapted tofulfill the objects stated, it is to be understood that I do not intendto confine my invention to the particular preferred embodiment ofcontrol center section disclosed, inasmuch as it is susceptible ofvarious modifications without departing from the scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim: 1. In a modular control center section having an en- 'closurefor housing electrical control apparatus and being adapted for use aloneor in combination with one or more similar sections adapted to beelectrically connected thereto and preferably situated at a centrallocation for controlling remote equipment or machines, the combinationcomprising:

'rnounting means in said control center section providing spaces adaptedto receive a plurality of respective control units;

a plurality of removable control units supported in said spaces by saidmounting means generally along one side of said control center sectionleaving a wiring space along the opposite side therewithin;

each said control unit being adapted for supporting electrical controlapparatus adapted to be connected to power busses and controlconductors;

each said control unit being provided with a control panel forming aportion of the exterior wall of the control center section when saidcontrol unit is inserted in its operative position;

a door for each said control unit hinged to the control center sectionand adapted to close onto one edge of the control panel of theassociated control unit;

a common door for the wiring spaces of all control units in the controlcenter section hinged to the latter and adapted to close onto the otheredges of the control panels of the control units;

and manual operating means extending through the con trol panels of thecontrol units for operating the enclosed apparatus from the exterior ofthe control center section.

2. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein: the con trol panels of allthe control units in one control center section are arranged inlongitudinal alinement when the control units are inserted in operativeposition where-by corresponding edges of said control panels form a doorjamb for said wiring space door.

3. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein: the opposite edges of saidcontrol panels are provided with horizontal frame members extending fromone side of the control center section behind the edges of adjacentcontrol unit doors to the control unit mounting means adjacent thewiring space and forming stops for the top and bottom edges of thecontrol unit doors.

6. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein:

said control unit doors are free of some electrical control apparatusoperating levers which are instead mounted on said control panelsthereby avoiding problems of alinement and gasketing and the like.

7. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein each said control unitcomprises:

a bottom panel and a top panel and a rear panel connected to one anotherleaving the front and sides thereof substantially open except for thecontrol panel at the right-front portion;

and a pair of handles on the forward edges of the bottom and top panelsadapted to be grasped to pull the control unit forwardly relative to thecontrol center section.

8. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein said control panelcomprises:

an elongated aperture therethrough;

and a slide lever extending through said aperture to the exterior andadapted to be manually slid to ac tuate a switch mounted on theassociated control unit within the enclosure.

9. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein said con trol panel furthercomprises:

visual indicator means mounted on said control panel for indicatingoperating conditions of the control apparatus; and manual pushbuttonmeans mounted on said control panel for performing certain controlfunctions. 10. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein:

the control center section is a vertically standing metal I cabinethaving the control panels of the control units 5 6 arranged verticallyalong the front wall thereof off- References Cited by the Examiner setto one side with the control unit doors on one UNITED STATES PATENTSside thereof and the wiring space door on the other 5 side thereof, andupper and lower panels respectively 3'168'683 2/196 Brokaw 317 119 aboveand below these doors and control panels 5 which are a part of thecontrol unit and which com- ROBERT SCHAEFER Prlmary Examiner plete thefront wall of said cabinetl M. GINSBURG, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A MODULAR CONTROL CENTER SECTION HAVING AN ENCLOSURE FOR HOUSINGELECTRICAL CONTROL APPARATUS AND BEING ADAPTED FOR USE ALONE OR INCOMBINATION WITH ONE OR MORE SIMILAR SECTIONS ADAPTED TO BE ELECTRICALLYCONNECTED THERETO AND PREFERABLY SITUATED AT A CENTRAL LOCATION FORCONTROLLING REMOTE EQUIPMENT OR MACHINES, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING:MOUNTING MEANS IN SAID CONTROL CENTER SECTION PROVIDING SPACES ADAPTEDTO RECEIVE A PLURALITY OF RESPECTIVE CONTROL UNITS; A PLURALITY OFREMOVABLE CONTROL UNITS SUPPORTED IN SAID SPACES BY SAID MOUNTING MEANSGENERALLY ALONG ONE SIDE OF SAID CONTROL CENTER SECTION LEAVING A WIRINGSPACE ALONG THE OPPOSITE SIDE THEREWITHIN; EACH SAID CONTROL UNIT BEINGADAPTED FOR SUPPORTING ELECTRICAL CONTROL APPARATUS ADAPTED TO BECONNECTED TO POWER BUSSES AND CONTROL CONDUCTORS;